


It started as a Scottish-Dutch alliance

by writing_escapism



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:27:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26073418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writing_escapism/pseuds/writing_escapism
Summary: “5 lap cool down, ladies” shouts LukaTeam obediently snap to attention and take off at a pace Lisa would absolutely NOT classify as a cool down.“Jesus Christ, fucking machines” Lisa let’s slip, when she realizes she is already behind and with a greater than zero percent chance of being lapped on a cool down. She’s already low key embarrassed.A high pitched chuckle has Lisa glancing left, at Viv, who is apparently the only other human in the group.“Fucking machines”, Viv repeats dropping into step with Lisa, her long strides slower & weirdly less coordinated without a ball at her feet. They jog the first few laps in a companionable silence, Viv seemingly content to let Lisa set the pace, and Lisa fully focused on not dying.
Relationships: Lisa Evans/Vivianne Miedema, Vivianne Miedema / Lisa Evans
Comments: 14
Kudos: 80





	1. Chapter 1

Present day

It’s strange how often people assume that the relationship is harder for Lisa. No one ever says it directly, instead they dance around the topic and ask a lot of questions that imply she got the wrong end of the deal. 

“Is it annoying always waiting for Viv to finish press conferences?”

“You are the most underrated player Lisa, don’t you agree it’s ridiculous strikers get all the glory?”

“Don’t you get sick of looking at all Viv’s trophies, where do you even put them anymore?”

It isn’t. She doesn't. Most of them are with Viv’s parents. Thing is Lisa and Viv are entirely different players, different people really. Lisa is all energy on the pitch; long building runs from the backfield, deft service from the wings and precise unapologetic slide tackles. While Lisa traverses the entire pitch; Viv owns the last third. She’s clinical in front of goal, weaving around defenders, finishing off either foot. On game day Lisa feeds off the energy, it thrums through her veins, dictates her pace. Viv always seems impervious to the moment; playing her game, reading play patterns so accurately it seems at times she can predict the next moves. 

So no she doesn't “live in Viv’s shadow”. Looking over at Viv’s almost fetal form hugging a pillow on the couch she thinks that instead Viv lives in the shadow of others expectations of her. They both just got back from a brutal Champions League QuarterFinal against PSG. Arsenal was a pace behind from the get-go and when PSG pulled ahead 2-1 in the 70th minute, all the heart in the world couldn’t make up for the months of lost training during quarantine. Defense took the brunt of the assault; the midfield unable to keep possession long enough to offer a reprieve. Viv, built up as the one to watch, was a ghost for the entire game; ball rarely making it up field, double teamed when it did, and forced to drop back deep to get the ball. 

The reasons don’t really matter. It will be seen as a bad game - Anything short of Viv scoring would be seen as a bad game. In some ways Lisa feels she is lucky that the expectations on her are so reasonable. She didn’t have the best day but will get to skate under the radar. Meanwhile, Viv is going to be answering questions for weeks, or at least until their next game is finished, on what went wrong. 

“Over or under on 5 clubs reaching out with trade offers in the next month?” Lisa joke’s trying to lighten the mood. 

“Over”, is the gruff response, “PSG, Chelsea, Lyon coaches already texted asking if I wanted to chat”, making air quotes around “to chat”. “10 pounds says Bayern, Man City and Wolfburg ping before end of week”. 

“No deal,Chelsea & PSG also texted me, clearly taking the package deal approach”.

“Smart”, Viv softens uncurling a little bit and patting the space beside her, “it’s the only one that has a chance of working”. 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2015 - Germany, Bayern Munich

The comatose Emo-kid in the corner is Viv”, Jens says, loudly enough to make the slouching teenager look up from her phone. “Viv, meet your new #7 Lisa, joining us from Potsdam via Scotland”. Viv blinks, gives a slow wave and seems to curl even further into the couch, muttering what Lisa thought might have been “welcome”. Lisa smiles, interaction quickly forgotten as she vainly tries to learn the names of multiple new teammates Jens rattles off. 

A kick-off meeting and a light warm-up later Lisa is trying to keep up in a passing drill with the forwards. It’s an adjustment from Potsdam, her first few passes lagging the players till she learns to anticipate the speed of Anja & Mia or Viv’s deceptive ability to eat up ground on the run. Drills give way to more drills, then to a scrimmage before somehow leading to fitness training. All-up it’s a pretty decent day 1.

“5 lap cool down, ladies” shouts Luka 

Team obediently snap to attention and take off at a pace Lisa would absolutely NOT classify a cool down. 

“Jesus Christ, fucking machines” Lisa let’s slip, when she realizes she is already behind and with a greater than zero percent chance of being lapped on a cool down. She’s already low key embarrassed.

A high pitched chuckle. Lisa glances left and see’s Viv, who is apparently the only other human in the group. 

“Fucking machines”, Viv repeats dropping into step with Lisa, her long strides slower & weirdly less coordinated without a ball at her feet. They jog the first few laps in a companionable silence, Viv seemingly content to let Lisa set the pace, and Lisa fully focused on not dying.

One lap to go and Viv breaks the silence “I remember you from last season, you chipped the goalie, I was jealous of that one”. Lisa’s oddly pleased by the compliment. Viv’s a rangy 5”10’, attractive in the most understated way and an established force at Bayern & on the Netherland’s team. She’s also like 19, and not that Lisa’s 23 years makes her ancient, but Viv’s objectively still a teen... even if she has been a pro for half a decade. 

“Thanks, still lost 1-3 though”, Lisa manages to puff out before the finish line FINALLY comes into sight. She looks over and see’s Viv trying to tap down a smile, remembering last year's league winning season - the first in 40+ years. Lisa gets it. The pride. It’s a big reason why she switched from being one of the best at Potsdam to fighting to prove her spot at Bayern. Sure she wants to train with the best, but she also wants her first real chance at earning silverware.


	2. Didn't think she'd stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Drabbles in the pre-relationship time at Bayern.  
> Viv is sweet, Lisa is sick, Jen's is not amused.

2015 - Germany 

Pre-season was going well. Lisa's fairly certain she is the #1 right hand side winger on her good days and a close #2 on any other. She's much fitter now even if she does choose to bring up the rear in warmups and cool downs with Viv. It's tradition.

She has a few inside jokes with her teammate housemates after a not to be mentioned laundry incident (EVER! But like sometimes it just has to be brought up). She has a go-to coffee shop that makes mediocre coffee but to die for Franzbrötchen. She still relies on Google to get where she needs to be, but thinks Berlin is a place she wouldn’t mind getting to know well.

It's a few days out from the season opener, when Lisa wakes up feeling like death. She drags herself through the absolute bare minimum steps of her morning routine, forces herself to eat some dry toast and gulps down copious amounts of cold medicine. It doesn’t help. At practice she waits until the last possible moment to get on the field. The banter from the girls, which she adores, is grating and really how did she not notice Katie’s voice sounded like dial-up internet screeches? She dragged through warm up, a beat slow on every run and flat footed on each pass. It just gets worse from there. An eternity later a water break is called, and as the others walk towards the cooler, Lisa crumbles to the ground, lying gratefully in the cool grass.

“Go home Evans”, Says Jens gruffly, startling Lisa from her grassy reprieve. “We don’t need you dying on the field”. 

“What?” Lisa stutters out, wincing as she scrambles into a sitting position. 

Jens softens, “You are doing great, rest up, want you full form on Saturday. Viv here,” he nods to his left to where Viv has been standing looking anywhere but at Lisa, “has volunteered to skive off training to bring you home & get you what you need. Off you go now”, he makes shoeing motions with his hands before stalking off towards the others. 

Lisa is still confused (and relieved) when she takes the hand Viv offers and is pulled to her feet. It’s a quiet process to grab stuff from the locker room, quick walk to Viv’s car and a short drive to wherever Viv was taking them. 

“Be right back” Viv says, parking and taking off at a canter into a store. 

Lisa is jolted awake by the trunk closing, then Viv sliding into the driver's seat. It’s a comfortable silence on the drive to Lisa’s apartment interrupted by occasional Google navigation prompts. Arriving, Viv jogs around to open her door, before grabbing a few brown shopping bags. Lisa is touched; she's admittedly sick, not incapacitated, which makes the attention from Viv sweet and maybe a little flattering. 

Viv sorta never leaves. She bundles Lisa to the couch & puts away groceries. Cooks lunch and plies Lisa with a German cold&flu medicine she swears by before bustling back to make honey&lemon tea. Lisa turns on a football replay, maybe Barca vs Seville, she's a little out of it but thinks it was those colors. She keeps expecting Viv to make an excuse and go but instead she drops into the motley green velvet armchair by the couch and watches an honestly boring game. Lisas asleep before the second half begins, lulled under by Viv’s near constant gaming commentary. 

She wakes up in darkness wrapped in a fuzzy quilt from the closet, a glass of water with meds next to it and a note telling her to text if she needs anything at all. She’s sweet, Lisa thinks for the second time that day and this time doesn’t find as easy to put Viv back in the off limits column.


	3. Chapter 3

Something changes after the "time Viv saved Lisa from dying on the training fields". The "how are you feeling?" messages morph into trading tidbits about their day. Conversations that break up the time between training's, gyms session and team hangouts.

In groups they still talk to all the girls but without fail gravitate to each other, Lisa searching out Viv to give her a drink, Viv resting her arm on Lisa in team huddles. It continues like this for days, subtle touches chasing warm smiles. It's so subtle that Viv teeters between fearful she's over reading Lisa's friendliness and excited about what could be. 

"Any chance you want to grab breakfast? gameday nerves are big time. gotta get out of the house".

Viv wakes up to Lisa's message and mentally begins reorienting her morning to make it work.

"Sure - pick you up at 9? We can go straight to the stadium after". Viv can't help the grin when the "yes please" and "your a star" texts light up her screen. 

Lisa looks overly energized when Viv sees her. Even from a 100 yards the energy rolling off her is palatable, from the head bob to the pacing. Viv had wondered what the bubbly Scot was like on gameday, what pregame routines she threw herself into, or superstitions she just had to do. She's touched that keyed up Lisa had called her to ground her back down.

Lisa practically bounces into the car, singing along to the cringiest Britney Spears throwback song, which she immediately hooks up to the Aux. With the door closed she actually starts singing louder, belting out the chorus and cajoling Viv until she can't help but offer back up vocals. They are on song 3 of a what Viv think is a female power ballard's playlist before Viv realizes two things 1. Lisa's energy is high key but her voice is perfectly on-key and 2. Whatever game day nerves Lisa has she clearly knows how to channel them. The latter is a relief to Viv who defaults to chill, and outside of a few notable big games (see first world cup opener) relishes the pre-match anticipation. She's relieved Lisa is taking it all in stride and looking forward to a few stolen hours by themselves. 

Viv takes them to her go-to pre match restaurant, where predictably she orders the same overnight muesli with a side of eggs that propelled her across all of last season. Lisa doesn't even look at the menu just asks for "the same thing as my tall friend here". 

"Jens told me I'm starting upfront with you today", Lisa gets out between bites of breakfast, "so you have excellent service coming your way all day". Viv knows bravado when she hears it but also gets how it can transform with the right teammate care into genuine confidence. 

"Hell ya, the newly formed Scottish-Dutch alliance is unstoppable. Breakfast. Crush it. Rinse. Repeat," Viv breathes out, the steady confidence in her words floating across the table and settling into Lisa's shoulders. 

The topic moves on but Viv thinks she can see Lisa sitting a little taller and talking with more ease. They exist in a perfect bubble; each of them leaning forward, smiling, and trading family stories over cups of coffee. Viv who feels comfortable everywhere has never felt more at home anywhere. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The game is unmemorable. Viv assists Katie on the first goal and then settles back into a more defensive posture spending more time in the 2nd third than upfront. She squeaks in a 2nd goal on a break away play rounding the keeper to find the back of the net. It's a clear win though not particularly satisfying. Viv misses the attacking control your own destiny style of the Netherlands team. The calculated risk methodology of Bayern chafes against Vivs instincts to build on scores when instead Jens orders a retreat into protecting the lead. It's effective but not necessarily fun. 

Okay maybe it is fun when Lisa jumps on her back heading to the locker room, "to congratulate the goal scorer". And maybe it's just for fun when Viv slings her arm around Lisa and keeps it there for the rest of the walk. But maybe it's not fun, maybe it's an eruption of butterflies when Lisa gives Viv's side a quick squeeze before breaking away to get changed. 

Viv showers and quietly slips out to sit in the now empty stands. She thinks back to the Summer's World cup - how the goals that came almost at will in qualifiers dried up on the global stage. Not for the first time she wonders if coming back to Bayern was the right choice. If this is really the best place for her to grow. She is grateful for a regiment that taught her discipline last year but wonders if a defensive minded club can teach her to be the best forward. It's a well worn thought stemming from a persistent belief that Dutch football could be an unstoppable force and the pressing reality that to play her part future Viv needs to be better.

Vibration of a text breaks her out of her reverie

Scottish Lisa: "Joining the girls to celebrate our first win of the season AND my first as a Bayern player???"  
Scottish Lisa: "Word on the street is there may be Karaoke and I can't possibly go up there without my Backup singers!"

Viv can practically see Lisa smile and bounce as she reads the text, the warmth spreading through her as she taps back a "wouldn't miss it :)".  
As she makes her way back through the players section she think although Bayern isn't quite right for Viv the footballer, Viv the person might be right where she needs to be.


End file.
